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Hiking: Exploring dunes on foot is the best way to experience the sandy Dutch coast or as we say: the Dutch dunes. The best area to go hiking: Amsterdam Watersupply Dunes (AWD). Enjoy magnificent views, feel the wind blow, spot wild deer and watch some tiny colourful wild plants flower. HOW TO GET THERE: You can go on your own hike by taking bus 80 from Amsterdam to Zandvoort (busstop Waterleidingduinen), or make a good walk on paths in National Park Zuid-Kennemerland. Start your walk at the train station of Overveen, and walk to the dunes (about 15 minutes to get there). Download and print my FREE MAP with travel directions for bike and hike from Overveen to dunes.

All possibilities to get to the dunes by public transport you can find here (at bottom of page).

Do you prefer a GUIDED HIKING TOUR in the AWD dunes with an experienced guide? I love to go there with you! I know this area for a long time and can tell you all about it’s history, it’s function as a drinkingwater catchment area, it’s natural values, it’s wild plants and animals. Explore this vast and diverse nature reserve during a two hours guided hiking tour with a group up till 15 people: € 149,- or during a whole day’s hike (good shoes and good condition required!): € 299,-. Send me your wishes and we will make a nice plan! You can book me here! Or do you prefer guided biking? I love to show you around in this splendid area and tell you more about it!

Exploring dunes by bicycle: make a magnificent biking tour around the dunes and woodlands near Haarlem, relax on the beach, watch the sea near Zandvoort and return to Haarlem. HOW TO GET THERE: You can go on your own: download and print my FREE BIKE TOUR with travel directions to the dunes, take train to Haarlem Central Station, rent a bike and your nice day out biking can start! Approximate estimated time: 2 hours or up to a whole day.

Do you prefer a GUIDED BIKE TOUR to the dunes? Then book me here. I can accompany you or your group, so you will not get lost, see the best places around and get the best out of this day out. Also see a lot of species (birds, plants etc.). Tours on bike in National Park Zuid-Kennemerland. Prices: three hours guided tour: € 159,- (bike rent not included; about € 7,50 per day). Starting point: Haarlem Central Station. Do you prefer biking on an electrical bike? You can rent it here. Dunes can be quite hilly here and there… Maybe you prefer hiking ?

WHY? Do you stay in Amsterdam or Haarlem and do you want to go exploring the Dutch sandy coast? Want to see more than museums and coffeeshops? Fed up with the crowds and touristic sites? Then come to the Dutch coast! It is not only famous for it’s beaches, but also for it’s dunes. Visiting and exploring dunes will challange your body and relax your mind. You will be astonished that our small and overcrowded country has still so much wild nature!!

WHERE? You can go to National Park Zuid-Kennemerland (NPZK) or also sometimes – somewhat confusing – called the “Amsterdam Dunes”. It is situated some 20 kilometers west of Amsterdam, so easy to reach by train, bus or car. Make a bike tour around the dunes, or make a day’s hike in the Amsterdam Watersupply Dunes (AWD). In these dunes – south of Zandvoort – the drinking water for Amsterdam is produced, and it is also a vast nature reserve, where biking is prohibited and which is open for walkers only.

On the maps below you can find the location of both National Park Zuid-Kennemerland and Amsterdam Watersupply Dunes related to Amsterdam, the (main)entrances to enter the dunes, and the places (red underlined) with a trainstation from where you can reach the dunes. See also biking for a FREE MAP to bike from Haarlem to the dunes.

Exploring dunes is easy: the Dutch coast is situated only 20 kilometers from Amsterdam!

Entrances to National Park (black stars) and Amsterdam Watersupply Dunes (blue stars) related to places with trainstation (red lines). Mainentrances most easy to get from Amsterdam: yellow circle.

Want to go exploring dunes? Getting there by public transport

National Park Zuid-Kennemerland:

take train to Haarlem and then bus 81 to Zandvoort, busstop ‘Kennemerduinen’ (mainentrance)